[Bearcat]

Well I am from central North Dakota and happened to find a tractor up in Canada. With the favorable dollar I thought I had found a good deal on a tractor at Maple Farm Equipment in Yorkton, SK (371 miles away). I called them on Friday to inquire about the tractor. I asked for the previous owner's name to find out some background info. They gave me the info and I thought I have the weekend to contact the previous owner. To no avail I could not get ahold of the previous owner so I called MFE up on Monday and told them I wanted to come up and look at the tractor. They said it was out on rental and they thought they were done with it so they would try and haul it back to the shop as it was 40 minutes away. Said they would call me back on Tuesday. I waited till noon on Tuesday and called them to see when I could see the tractor. They told me to come up tomorrow and we would just drive out the rental place and see the tractor. So today (Wednesday) I got up early and fed cows before the sun was up and was on the road by 7:30am. So fast forward about 300 miles (about 1:15 pm)and I get a call just a little north of Carlyle, SK. The dealership says they had sold the tractor. I was like????? insert any explicit phrase you can think of as I probably said it. I was either told they sold it on the weekend or they just sold it as the guy that bought it put a down payment down sight unseen, bad cell service. Talk about a pissed off drive home 300 miles to myself to contemplate how pissed I was at Maple Farm Equipment. The salesman also had the nerve to say at least I saved you a few hours on your trip and tried to say the roads were crappy up there anyway. Yeah insert more phrases that would get me banned. So with that I bid you a big middle finger Maple Farm Equipment in Yorkton, SK

 

[uthinkyourwet?]

That sucks, huh? I drove to Winnepeg from here, a 6 hour trip once to look at a drill. I told the salesman I was a long ways away, and I am not coming to look at junk, is the drill in really nice shape? Yes it is he said, it was mint!

Guess what happened? It was the ugliest, beat up drill I had seen. Flat tires were the least of the problems.

It is hard to even know what to say sometimes. Sorry for your experience. It is a pain indeed.

 

[southsask9400]

Send em a bill, my JD dealer charges $150.00 to come just 7 miles for a service call. Give them a little of their own medicine back.

 

[SWFarmService]

West Plains Imp had a 7820 JD with IVT, MFWD and loader for only 71,000 a few years back, it was loaded and had 1500 hrs, I had a MXU 135 I had bought new from them to trade. It took a week of me calling to get them out to look at mine as I was no dumbie this was a steel. He finally showed up and never said a word. Found a note on his card laying on the seat that he was there and I was greeted by the key on and a dead frozen battery the middle of winter, called him up, never mentioned the key on, he says tractor was sold while he was looking at mine. Two weeks later my dad drives by it sitting on the lot, now I am really mad! I get him on the phone and he swears he knows nothing about it, call another salesman to find out what is going on, he said to give him a payment on it and he would swap tractors and finish the deal, I load mine up haul it down there to meet the new owner of the tractor i was trying to by

 

[hwy19farm]

Trevor ,What kind of tractor you looking for I've helped you before might as well be a case of beer to work on.Funny you should post today,just sold my 4 wheeler to Norman Bickel said he knew you.Jeff

 

[MCatSHF]

Hello Bearcat
Now you're putting a scare into me. I'm planning a 14 hr. round trip to look at a tractor. I hope I don't get any surprises. It happened to me before on a 6 hr. round trip to look at a "real nice" combine header that turned out to be a piece of crap. That was years ago though, before pics on the Internet.

 

[STR1]

That type of story is becoming all to common in the larger Ag Dealer network. They operate as if only their time has value and farmers time is worthless. I agree you should send them a bill for $150/hr plus mileage and out of country expenses!!! Be sure to point out you need to be paid in U.S. Dollars!!
Sorry to hear of your bad experience.

 

[Bearcat]

Thanks for the reply's guys. For some reason I feel better reading others stories. I should send them a bill!


MCatSHF,
I wouldn't be scared. Not all dealerships are bad, I guess I just assumed if you said that you were coming to look at a tractor it would be A: not sold, or B: they wouldn't sell it if you were driving to look at it. I can understand them selling it earlier but get your crap together and tell me. What I can't understand is that I told them I would be there by 2pm on Wednesday, wouldn't you hold it for me while I drive there to look at it? I believe that is common courtesy anyway.

 

[Chrismidwest]

What kinda tractor where you wanting ?

 

[kris]

A couple times I have just given a credit card number to put a refundable deposit on a piece of equipment to hold it until I can get there to inspect it.

 

[mark 1056]

typical mfe its gone down big time

 

[Old Farmer]

They were obviously dealing with the other guy before and used you to close the deal with the other guy. They should have been upfront with you and I would phone the Sales Manager and complain

 

[Ben Heide]

They were obviously dealing with the other guy before and used you to close the deal with the other guy. They should have been upfront with you and I would phone the Sales Manager and complain

x2

 

[skgrain]

I went to buy a 04 skidoo for 2500 this fall. Screaming good deal but the guy said its the first guy with cash in his hand. Apparently he had held one for a guy before and the guy never did show up. Anyway someone from far away was on the road already. I could have beat him and scooped it but I let it go.

I guess the only fair way to do it is first guy with the firm commitment. So you either buy it over the phone or take a chance on a long drive.

Good news is the dollar dropped a bit more today so you will find lots better deals.

 

[wheatking]

Bought a tractor from maple farm equipment a few years ago. I went down to look at it on a wednesday, it was in the yard shined up ready to go. On friday I told the salesman I would buy it, he said great they would deliver it the next day as it was at the start of seeding and I wanted it ASAP. Saturday, no tractor, monday no tractor, salesmen says that it needs to be serviced yet and they would have it in the shop the next day and out to my farm possibly that day, next day at the latest. Well the tractor finally showed up the following friday, full of mud inside and out and reeking of cigarettes, with another approx 120 hours on it from when I had looked at the previous week and what the bill of sale had said. The salesman then told me that they had rented it out and the farmer renting it wouldnt give it back, I just cant stand when they lie and give the run around, why not just tell the truth from the start. I had to fight with them a bit but they eventually gave me the rental money that they had received, as it was my tractor when they were renting it out.. Kind of a disappointing experience dealing with them.

 

[cdnredneck_t3]

Wheatking, that makes my blood boil just thinking about that. I probably would have lost my cool over that one.

 

[meritmat]

lost cool?

I would have charged them with theft and or fraud

 

[montana]

I drove almost 400 miles once to look at a semi I asked the salesman before I left how is the blow-by on the engine . Great he says has virtually no blow-by...drove all the way up there. I can honestly say I have never seen an engine even with half the blow-by that engine had . It was like there was a 185 cfm. Compressor blowing out that tube. After I had a very short conversation with the salesman I kinda think he did not have a clue what engine blow-by was ..... With the ease of smart phone I think I would make the salesman send me a vid. do what ever it was looking at

 

[wheatking]

Wheatking, that makes my blood boil just thinking about that. I probably would have lost my cool over that one.

lost cool?

I would have charged them with theft and or fraud

I should clarify my original post, I had signed documents by fax but did not pay for the tractor until it arrived in my yard, sent a cheque with the trucker. Still was infuriating none the less, thankfully it was a late spring and we never got rolling for a few days after it arrived. What was the most disappointing was the lying, just tell me straight up that it was rented out before I bought/spoke for it it and they will do there best to get it to me shortly instead of giving me the run around. And who the **** smokes in and leaves a rented tractor with that messy of a cab, do people have no self respect.

Love the tractor though and I am glad we bought it.

 

[Bearcat]

Well I cooled down today and called the salesman up and asked what happened? He said a sister store sold the tractor while I was driving up to look at it. The guy put a down payment on it sight unseen while I was driving. Salesman said I guess I should have had you put a refundable down payment on it. I guess I learned a new lesson dealing with big dealerships.... Still pisses you off and sounds fishy. How many of you guys buy high houred tractors sight unseen even if the price is almost half off?